Aluminum lightweight basket



Oct. 24, 1950 K. s. SNOW 2,527,085

ALUMINUM LIGHTWEIGHT BASKET Filed Dec. 2, 1941 I6 INVENTOR.

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ATTD'RN EYS Patented Oct. 24, 1950 UNITED STAT Es PATENT;

ALUMINUM LIGHTWEIGHT BASKET Kenneth S. Show, Glassboro, NQJ.

Application December 2, 1947, Serial No. 789,192

This invention relates to baskets and more particularly to a basket that is fabricated from metal and is used for containing or shipping produce such as fruit, vegetables or similar perishable or non-perishable articles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a basket of light weight material, such as aluminum, which will be strong, sturdy, well shaped, while still being of light weight.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a, basket which is of simple construction, easy to assemble, inexpensive to manufacture, and is free of sharp edges.

This basket will be used to replace the old type wooden slat baskets that are universally used for containing or shipping fruit and vegetables. This type of basket is waterproof, long lived and possesses salvage value that is not always present when wooden baskets are used. This basket can be produced by mass production, being light in weight, will save shipping costs and in the long run will be as inexpensive to the user as the old type of wooden baskets now used.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the basket;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the bottom of the basket before the same has been pressed upwardly and inwardly.

Referring now to the figures, Ill represents staves which are ribbed at H, and are arranged in circumferentially spaced fashion to provide spaces I2 therebetween for ventilation. This construction gives the stave the strength of much heavier material.

At the top of the basket is a wire ring I3 which is curled into the top of the staves ID to ive the basket crushing resistance. The size and circumference of the wire will depend upon the size of the basket made. This wire I3 may be made of steel or iron, but preferably of aluminum, in order to prevent rusting.

The staves II] are of light weight aluminum, and the corrugations II run through substan-- tially the entire length of the staves to within a short distance of the end of the stave, thereby leaving a flat metal section to be curled into the wire I3 at the top. There is a similar section at the bottom to be curled into the bottom plate 3Claims. (01.220-71) I4 as its periphery I5 is curled upwardly to in clude the stave. The bottom I4 has corrugations I6 pressed therein tin iorder to make the same rigid, as shown in Figure 3, and when the bottom has been finally pressed onto the staves, it will be concaved upwardly into the basket, as shown in Figure 2, to a greater extent than as shown in Figure 3. 1

A band ITof aluminum extends about the staves,'and is fastened to each stave by a rivet I8, whereby to reinforce the basket against any tendency for the same to bulge upon great weight being rested upon the top of the basket. One

band is shown as being used, but it is understood that more can be used to further strengthen the basket, or in case a taller basket is wanted, taller staves and extra bands can be used, as desired.

Each stave has its side turned in, whereby to provide a bent over head l9 along the stave, whereby to reinforce the same, and at the same time eliminate sharp edges.

The entire basket is preferably made of aluminum, and is accordingly of light weight, free from rust, and has salvage value, when it becomes sufliciently destroyed, to be useless as a basket.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A basket comprising a plurality of staves formed of light weight metal and corrugated throughout substantially the entire length thereof and having flat top and bottom sections, a ring at the top of the basket and the top flat sections being rolled under the ring whereby to form a rigid top of the basket, a bottom having a periphery rolled onto the bottom flat portions of the staves, said bottom being indented upwardly and inwardly and having reinforcing corru ations therein and an enlargement along the Vertical edges of said staves to reinforce said staves and eliminate the sharp edges of said staves.

2. A basket comprising a plurality of staves formed of light weight metal and corrugated throughout substantially the entire length thereof and having fiat top and bottom sections, a ring at the top of the basket and the top flat sections being rolled under the ring whereby to form a rigid top of the basket, a bottom having a periphery rolled onto the bottom flat portions 3 of the staves, said bottom being indented upwardly and inwardly and having reinforcing corrugations therein and an enlargement along the vertical edges of said stavesi to reinforce said staves and eliminate the sharp edges of said staves, and a band extending about the staves and connected thereto whereby to prevent bulging of the basket.

3. A basket comprising a plurality of staves formed of light weight metaland corrugated throughout substantially the entire length thereof and having flat top and bottom sections, a ring at the top of the basket and the top fiat sections being rolled under the ring whereby to form a rigid top of the basket, a bottom having a periphery rolled onto the bottom fiat portions of the staves, said bottom being indented upwardly and inwardly and having reinforcing corrugations therein and an enlargement along the vertical edges of said staves to reinforce said staves and eliminate the sharp edges of said staves, said staves being circumferentially spaced from one another whereby to provide spaces between them for the ventilation of air through the basket, said staves having their side edges turned over to be reinforced and to eliminate the sharp edges thereof.

KENNETH S. SNOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS ,Number Name Date 1,118,738 Carroll Nov. 24, 1914 2,060,468 Mitchell Nov. 10, 1936 2,367,566 Dale Jan. 16, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 291 Great Britain Jan. 4, 1902 3,982 Great Britain Feb. 19, 1903 6,770 Great Britain Apr. 23, 1889 9,174 France Sept. 7, 1908 437,237 France 1 Feb. 12, 1912 

